Vikings SCVNGR hunt starts in Mankato

The news out of opening weekend at Vikings training camp in Mankato isn't Brett Favre's absence -- his presence would have stopped the presses, of course. But no, what's really cool is a social game for iPhones and Droids called "Jared's Journey."

This isn't the follow-the-cardboard-cutout-of-Jared Allen game from years' past; it's been updated to take smart phone users on a guided scavenger hunt through Mankato to earn points and badges for checking in, and maybe snapping a photo, at different locations.

But while the fans follow the clues, Mankato's following the money.

The pilgrims who come to the Vikings' camp every year are worth about $5 million, and the city wants to do whatever it can to help them open their wallets. SCVNGR will make sure the fans stop by as many bars, hotels, restaurants and other businesses possible. If they accumulate enough points, they score Jared Allen-autographed merch.

SCVNGR CEO Seth Priebatsch told Mashable that the Mankato Visitors Bureau was inspired by how Philadelphia used to app, and asked the company to creat something to help build Vikings buzz.